Why I Hate Facebook

You might have heard me say before on this channel, or my podcasts or whatever, that I don’t like Facebook.

I don’t like it. I don’t spend any time there. I literally DO NOT go on Facebook—that is, personally.

I do have a Facebook page for myself as an author, and I post there and I respond to fans who reach out to me there.

But as for a personal Facebook account, I have one that I used to use all the time, but I have not been on there AT ALL for literally months, and my life is much better because of that.

What is it that makes Facebook so unappealing to me? Well, there’s a few things, really. First up, there’s Facebook’s collective sense of social obligation.

Facebook is kind of like a family or high school reunion. You can choose NOT to go to the reunion at all, but IF you go, you can’t choose NOT to interact with certain attendees without it becoming really awkward.

On Facebook, more than any other social media site, I feel like you HAVE to friend certain people. You can’t be on Facebook and NOT friend your family members, for instance.

Things get worse if you’re in a relationship and you have to deal with all kinds of drama like,

“Sweetie, why haven’t you friended my friend Rhonda?”

“Well, because Rhonda posts a bunch of pictures of mutilated dogs and I really don’t want that on my feed.”

“Well she’s a really good friend of mine and she sent you a request three weeks ago, so can’t you just friend her and then hide her posts?”

“So then, I won’t see anything she posts?”

“That’s right.”

“Just like I don’t see them right now?”

“Yup.”

“So what’s the point?”

“Well, you’ll be Facebook friends.”

“But we won’t interact.”

“No.”

“So the point is—”

“JUST DO IT!”

Maybe one case like this isn’t a problem, but after about fifty people friended and hidden, it starts to get a little tiresome.

Then there’s the way Facebook handles its algorithms and how it decides what to show you when you’re scrolling through your feed.

Social media originated with the idea that you could friend or follow or circle someone on a social media site in order to see everything that person posted.

This is how Twitter works and Google+ and Tumble and everything.

But Facebook decided to switch things up and say, “Hey, I know you SAID you wanted to see everything this person posted, but…we’re not going to show it to you.”

“Instead we’re only going to show you something they posted if it starts getting attention and our computerized algorithm determines that the post is ‘popular.’”

Now this is how Facebook works EVEN IF you set your timeline to display “most recent” posts. Facebook doesn’t ACTUALLY show you the most recent posts, it just shows you “most popular” posts in chronological order.

Of course, posts that get attention and interaction aren’t always popular. In fact people are more likely to react and comment on a negative post than a positive post.

So your Facebook timeline inevitably gets clogged up with a whole bunch of negativity and arguments and controversy and drama.

And if that happens, what can you do about it? You can’t unfriend Jimmy, because he’s your brother’s wife’s cousin and it’ll just be REAL awkward at the next family reunion.

On every social media site I use, from Tumblr, my favorite, to Google+, my favorite professional site, to Twitter, where I go for entertainment and to find out what my favorite celebrities are up to, I get to see everything that gets posted by the people that I follow.

And I’m under no obligation to follow anyone I don’t want to follow. And I can follow someone without them having to follow me back, or vice versa.

Also, I don’t have to pay to promote my posts on other social media platforms. I can pay to promote them to MORE people than my followers, but anyone who follows me just…sees what I post. Like it should be.

Facebook makes you give them money just to reach people that ALREADY said they want to hear from you.

And meanwhile they clog their whole page with about a quadrajillion advertisements, so they’re just raking in the cash on both ends.

And I’m just not into that.

So if you’re all about that Facebook, bout that Facebook, no Twitter, we’re not very likely to interact much online. And if you’re one of those unlucky people who Facebook friended me back before I emigrated, sorry, I’m not seeing it when you tag me in posts, or send me a message, or post a photo of me. And I’m happier that way.

You can find links to all the social media platforms where I DO hang out in the description. As always, thanks for watching, Rebels, and I will see you tomorrow. Maybe. Byyye.

Over 100,000 readers have read and loved Garrett's books, like the fantasy hits Nightblade and Midrealm. He's also a film festival favorite with movies like Unsaid, and a tech guru who posts lots of helpful how-tos for writers and filmmakers over at garrettbrobinson.com.